Composition and method for treating substrates to reduce electrostatic charge and resultant article

ABSTRACT

Antistatic agents and their use in processing textiles or formed plastic substrates. The antistatic agent comprises a compound having a fluorocarbon moiety and an ethoxylated quaternary ammonium moiety. The antistatic composition increases the electrolytic conductivity of treated textile or plastic materials, thereby increasing the rate of electrostatic charge dissipation thereof. The antistatic agents remain effective after exposure of the treated substrate to an aqueous environment.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to antistatic agents and their use in textile and plastics processing.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Electrostatic charge is the result of electrification of an object such that the charge is confined to the object. Friction between two surfaces in close contact typically gives rise to electrostatic charge or static electricity.

Textiles and plastics generally have low conductivity and dissipate charge at a relatively low rate. While it has been proposed to attenuate electrostatic charge build-up on textile and plastic materials by reducing its rate of generation, friction is inherent in many plastics and textile processing operations, particularly the latter, and cannot be substantially reduced. Consequently, increasing the rate of electrostatic charge dissipation of a textile or plastic material by increasing its electrolytic conductivity through the application of internal or external antistatic agents is commonly used as a means of controlling electrostatic build-up in such materials.

External or surface antistatic agents are directly applied as a coating to the surface layer of a textile or formed plastic substrate, typically dissolved or suspended in a suitable vehicle, such as water or another solvent. Internal antistatic agents are commonly used in formed plastic substrates and are physically mixed or blended with the resin mass prior to the forming operation, e.g., spinning, drawing, molding or the like, so as to be uniformly distributed throughout the body of the finished product, including the surface layer. Internal antistatic agents generally provide a longer lasting electrostatic charge dissipative effect.

Various chemicals have been proposed for use as antistatic agents, including, by way of example, long-chain amines, amides and quaternary ammonium salts; esters of fatty acids and their derivatives; sulfonic acids and alkyl aryl sulfonates; polyoxyethylene derivatives; polyglycols and their derivatives; polyhydric alcohols and their derivatives; and phosphoric acid derivatives.

Treatment of polyester and nylon fabrics with antistatic agents has been shown to reduce soiling. Static-prone plastic articles, such as packaging materials, that are treated with antistatic agents resist accumulation of dust and thus are more attractive for packaging of consumer products. Moreover, static charged plastic packaging and other plastic products have the potential to cause damage to semiconductor chips and constitute a possible explosion hazard in areas where flammable gases are used.

Ideally, surface antistatic agents used in textile and plastics processing are stable and not transient. That is to say, an amount of antistatic agent sufficient to provide effective electrostatic charge dissipation is retained on the surface of the coated substrate, whether textile or plastic, until processing is complete. Such processing often involves exposure of the treated textile or plastic to an aqueous environment, which tends to reduce the amount of antistatic agent present on the treated surface, thus diminishing its static dissipative effect. The use of stable antistatic agents offers the advantage of obviating repeated application of the antistatic agent to the static-prone substrate during processing.

Antistatic agents are also used for enhancing the receptivity of plastic surfaces to electrostatically applied coatings, e.g., in automobile production. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,219,493. In this application also, it is desirable that the antistatic agent resists removal when exposed to an aqueous rinse or wash liquid.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide an antistatic agent capable of effectively dissipating electrostatic charge from a static-prone object treated therewith.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an antistatic agent for internal or external application to textile and plastic substrates.

It is another object of this invention to provide an antistatic agent providing a relatively long lasting electrostatic charge dissipative effect to substrates treated therewith, even after exposure of the treated substrate to an aqueous environment, such as aqueous rinse or wash liquid.

It has surprisingly been found that the above objects are achievable by means of the antistatic agent of the present invention which comprises, or preferably consists essentially of a compound of the formula Q--L--(R--X)_(d), wherein Q represents a normal or branched, saturated or unsaturated perfluoroaliphatic radical, L represents an ester or an ether linkage, R represents an alkylene-oxyalkylene or an alkylene-poly(oxyalkylene) group, and X represents at least one quaternary ammonium group of the formula ##STR1## and, optionally, a tertiary amine group of the formula ##STR2## wherein R₁ and R₄ independently represent --(C₂ H₄ O)_(f) --Z, Z being H, Q or ##STR3## f being an integer from 1 to 50, R₂ represents a C₁ -C₄ alkyl group, R₃ and R₅ independently represent a normal or branched, saturated or unsaturated C₆ -C₂₂ aliphatic group, A represents an organic or inorganic anion and d is 1 or 2.

The reaction mixture that results from preparation of the aforesaid compound is applicable, as is, for antistatic treatment of various substrates. The working composition thus contains unreacted starting materials if present in stoichiometric excess, and may contain some or all of the medium in which the reaction is conducted. Of course, one or more additional components, such as solvents, may be included in the composition, e.g., to assist in solubilizing the compound, or in drying of the composition on the treated substrate. It is an advantage of the composition of the invention that isolation and recovery of the antistatically active agent from the reaction mixture is obviated.

The present invention also provides a method for dissipating electrostatic charge on a static-prone substrate by incorporating into the substrate, either internally or externally, the antistatic agent of the invention in an amount effective to impart to the substrate a surface resistance value in the range of from about 10⁶ to about 10¹² ohms, a 90% electrostatic charge decay time of 10 seconds or less, or both.

Also in accordance with the present invention, there are provided articles of manufacture including textile, thermoplastic and thermoset substrates which are treated with the composition of the invention and effectively dissipate static electricity.

The composition and method of the invention are also useful for imparting a desired level of surface conductivity to formed plastic articles, such as automobile bumper parts, for electrostatically applied coating materials, resulting in good adhesion of the coating material to the treated article.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

As used herein, "antistatic agent" refers to a substance, or mixture of substances, added to a material, either internally or externally, to make the material static dissipative. The term "static-prone" refers to substrates that are susceptible to development of electrostatic charge, due to the way in which they are processed, or otherwise.

The antistatic composition of the invention is the product of a chemical reaction between a compound comprising a fluorocarbon radical and a polyalkoxylated quaternary ammonium compound and, optionally, a polyalkoxylated tertiary amine.

The reaction product preferably comprises an ester formed by the reaction of at least one normal or branched, saturated or unsaturated perfluoroaliphatic carboxylic acid and a hydroxyl-substituted, ethoxylated quaternary ammonium compound. Alternatively, however, the ester may be the product of the reaction of a fluoroalcohol with an ethoxylated quaternary ammonium compound having one or more terminal carboxyl groups. Ether compounds of the type mentioned above may be prepared by fluorinated "capping" of hydroxyl-terminated, polyethoxylated quaternary ammonium compounds with tetrafluoroethylene oxide or heptafluoropropylene oxide, according to procedures known in the art.

The fluorocarbon-containing compound is preferably of the formula (C_(q) F_(2q+1))--COOH, wherein q represents an integer from 1 to 17. Representative examples of such acids include perfluoro-acetic, propionic, butyric, pentanoic, hexanoic, heptanoic, octanoic, nonanoic and decanoic acids. The perfluorocarboxylic acids may contain mixtures of various chain lengths, depending upon their method of manufacture, and the use of such mixtures is within the scope of this invention.

Suitable hydroxyl-substituted, polyethoxylated quaternary ammonium compounds for use in forming the antistatic composition of the invention include those of the formula ##STR4## wherein g and k are each integers from 1 to 50, preferably 2-16, which may be the same or different, j is an integer from 1 to 4, preferably 1 or 2, R₆ represents a normal or branched, saturated or unsaturated C₆ -C₂₂ aliphatic group, preferably C₆ -C₁₈, and A is an organic or inorganic anion, preferably halide, sulfate, lower alkyl sulfate or the like. The term "aliphatic" as used herein refers not only to groups that are exclusively hydrocarbons, i.e., paraffins, olefins and acetylenes, but also to derivatives thereof including one or more ether linkage.

Preferred hydroxyl-substituted polyethoxylated quaternary ammonium compounds for use in forming the antistatic composition of the invention include those of the formula ##STR5## wherein s and w may be the same or different and are each integers from 2-16; t is 1 or 2; R₈ represents a normal or branched, saturated or unsaturated C₆ -C₁₈ aliphatic group; and A represents an anion selected from the group consisting of chloride, sulfate and lower alkyl sulfate.

Examples of the preferred quaternary ammonium compounds are ethyl bis(polyethoxyethanol) tallow ammonium salt, methyl bis(polyethoxy ethanol) coco ammonium salt and polyethoxy coco ether amine diethylsulfate ammonium salt.

Most preferred are ethyl bis (polyethoxyethanol) tallow ethyl sulfate ammonium salt, available from Witco Corporation, under the trademark Variquat® 66 and methyl bis(polyethoxy ethanol) coco ethoxylated chloride ammonium salt, available from Witco Corporation under the product designation Variquat® K-1215.

Ethoxylated tertiary fatty amines of the formula ##STR6## wherein m and n are each integers from 1 to 50, preferably 2-16, which may be the same or different, R₇ represents a normal or branched, saturated or unsaturated, C₆ -C₂₂ aliphatic group, preferably C₆ -C₁₈, may optionally be included as reactants forming the antistatic composition of the invention, in combination with quaternary ammonium salts of the type described above. Variquat 66®, for example, comprises both hydroxyl-substituted, ethoxylated tertiary fatty amines and hydroxyl-substituted ethoxylated quaternary ammonium salts. According to information provided by the manufacturer, the tertiary amine component of this product is quaternerized, in part, and associated with the counterion of the quaternary ammonium compound.

Preferred ethoxylated tertiary fatty amines for use in forming the antistatic composition of the invention include those of the formula ##STR7## wherein y and z may be the same or different and are each integers from 2-16; and R₉ represents a normal or branched, saturated or unsaturated, C₆ -C₁₈ aliphatic group.

The preferred amine reactants having 2-16 repeating ethoxy units are characterized in product information from the manufacturer as nominally having eight repeating ethoxy units.

The antistatic agents of the invention are prepared by known synthetic procedures, using conventional reaction conditions, as will be exemplified below. The progress of the reaction may be monitored, if desired, by standard analytical techniques, e.g., infra-red spectroscopy.

Although the resulting reaction mixture can advantageously be applied, as is, to static-prone substrates, various additives may be included in the reaction mixture to impart certain desirable properties to the resultant composition. The selection of appropriate additives will depend to some extent on the manner in which the antistatic agent is incorporated into the substrate. Additives may include solvents, e.g., isopropanol, surfactants such as ethoxylated nonylphenol (Trycol® 6974, available from Henkel Corporation), and the like. The appropriate amount of any specific additive to be included in the antistatic composition of the invention may readily be determined on the basis of routine testing.

The antistatic composition may be applied to natural or synthetic textile materials or mixtures of natural and synthetic materials, e.g., nylon, rayon, acetate, rayon-cellulosic materials such as cellulose acetate-proprionate, cellulose-butyrate, cotton, linen, jute, ramie, wool, mohair and glass, e.g., fiberglass and fiberglass insulation. The textile materials may take virtually any form, including individual fibers, yarns, woven materials such as fabrics, cloth, carpets, rugs and upholstery and non-woven materials such as felts, bats and mats. In the case of fiberglass strand or fiberglass insulation, the composition may be applied externally as a finish or as part of a sizing composition.

The plastic substrates in which the antistatic agents of the invention may be beneficially incorporated include, for example, nylon (polyamide), polycarbonate, polyphenylene oxide, polyester, polyolifins and the like, and blends thereof with various other compatible resins.

Representative examples of suitable thermoset materials which have been treated using the antistatic composition of the invention are a polyester/polyether (Lomod®, available from Ashland Chemical Company), a nylon/polyester (Bexloy®, available from E.I. DuPont de Nemours) and a polyurethane (Bayflex®, available from Mobay Chemical). Commercial sheet molding compound, composed, for example, of a polyester filled with calcium carbonate and chopped glass fibers, has also been treated with the antistatic agents described herein.

Examples of materials which may be treated with the antistatic agent of the invention include thermoplastic linear polyethylene, and thermosetting alkyd, polyester and epoxy resins.

Incorporation of the antistatic composition into any given substrate will depend on the manner of manufacturing the substrate and may include surface application via padding, immersing, roller coating, spray coating and the like. The composition may also be blended with resinous materials which thereafter undergo various forming operations, e.g., extrusion or molding to yield the finished substrate. Of course, formed substrates may also be surface coated. For textile materials, the preferred form of application is by immersion, i.e., running the textile substrate through a bath of the antistatic composition. The appropriate mode of application may be selected by those skilled in the art in view of the overall dimensions or geometrical configuration of the surface to be treated. In any case, the mode of application should be one which causes a reasonably uniform thickness of the antistatic composition to be deposited on the treated surface. For flat surfaces, such as sheet or strip material, this may usually be accomplished most readily through the use of rollers or squeegees. The application temperature of the composition may vary over a wide range, but is preferably from 5° to 50° C.

Coating thickness may vary from as little as a monolayer to any desired thickness, although generally no advantage is achieved by thickness greater than about 20 microns, while the cost of the treatment is increased. Normally, the coating thickness for textile, thermoplastic or thermoset substrates to acquire an acceptable level of conductivity will be at least 0.2 microns. In operation, processing variables will normally be determined based upon the desired coating thickness to be obtained.

Any excess antistatic agent is typically removed from the treated substrate before drying. The excess may be removed by a gentle water rinse, air knife blow drying, immersion in water (with or without agitation), air pressure or ultrasound. Drying may be carried out by, for example, circulating air, infra-red oven drying, or mechanical drying. While room temperature drying may be employed, it is preferable to use elevated temperatures to decrease the amount of drying time required.

Under normal operations, it is desirable to use elevated oven temperatures and warm air streams of velocity insufficient to disturb the wet film. From a practical standpoint, the drying temperature should be well below the softening point of the surface undergoing surface treatment.

Surfaces treated in accordance with the present invention are characterized by a surface resistance of between about 10⁶ ohms and about 10¹² ohms, a 90% electrostatic charge decay time of 10 seconds or less, or both. Devices for measuring surface resistance or electrostatic charge decay time are commercially available from various sources and their use is exemplified hereinbelow.

Static or charge dissipation is a function of the surface resistance property of the material. Surface resistance is inversely related to the surface conductivity. In other words, the lower the value of surface resistance, the better the ability of an applied charge to dissipate to ground. Surface resistance testing is complementary to electrostatic charge decay measurement tests which measure the time required to an applied charge to dissipate to a predetermined cut-off value. In electrostatic charge decay testing, the lower the time required for dissipation of the applied charge, the high the surface conductivity. Hence, low resistance values will generally correlate with low static decay times.

Surfaces treated by the method of the invention will readily accept an electrostatically applied coating material, as will be exemplified below.

The following examples are provided to describe the invention in further detail. These examples, which set forth the best mode presently contemplated for carrying out the invention, are intended to illustrate and not to limit the invention.

EXAMPLE I Preparation of Antistatic Composition

An antistatic composition in accordance with this invention was prepared by reacting 75 grams of ethyl bis(polyethoxyethanol) tallow ethyl sulfate ammonium salt with 25.5 grams of trifluoroacetic in the presence of anhydrous MgSO₄ (8 grams) in a 200 ml round bottom reaction vessel equipped with a mechanical stirrer. No solvent was used in conducting the reaction. A small amount of H₂ SO₄ (approximately 0.4 grams) was added as a catalyst. The reaction was heated at 100° C. for 45 minutes. The reaction temperature was then raised to 150° C. for 30 minutes. The MgSO₄ in the mixture settled to the bottom of the reaction vessel. The reaction mixture was filtered through Whatman 5 qualitative filter paper to obtain a clear amber liquid, having a specific gravity of 1.1-1.2 grams/ml.

The reaction was followed by infrared spectroscopy. The product exhibited the convergence of bands about 950 and 915 cm⁻¹ to a band at 935 cm⁻¹ with a weak shoulder at 920 cm⁻¹. There was also a convergence of a band at 700 cm⁻¹ and its shoulder at 690 cm⁻¹ into a single sharp band at 700 cm⁻¹. An intensification of bands at 855, 780 and 735 cm⁻¹ was also observed. The 1020 cm⁻¹ band shifts/looses intensity to a new band at 1040 cm⁻¹. Intensity changes in the 1260 cm⁻¹ band are difficult to assign, but in general, it appears to lose intensity.

Other antistatic compositions in accordance with this invention can be prepared following the general procedure described above, but substituting a longer chain perfluoroaliphatic acid for trifluroacetic acid and/or quaternary ammonium compounds, such as methyl bis(polyethoxyethanol) coco ethoxylated chloride ammonium salt or Emerstat 6660A (polyethoxy coco ether amine diethyl sulfate ammonium salt), for the quaternary ammonium salt exemplified herein.

The reaction described immediately above may be carried out in the presence of a solvent, if desired. Thus, 100.2 grams of ethyl bis(polyethoxyethanol) tallow ethyl sulfate ammonium salt was dissolved in 151 grams of toluene and the solution was heated under nitrogen to approximately 110° C. for forty-five minutes. To the heated solution was added 34 grams of trifluoroacetic acid and heating was continued at 113°-115° C. for about three hours. A water-toluene azeotrope was distilled and collected. The residual toluene was vacuum stripped from the reaction mixture at 77 millibar and 40° C.

A C¹³ analysis was performed on the resultant reaction mixture. The spectrum of trifluoroacetic acid exhibited a quartet centered at ˜116 ppm due to the CF₂ carbon and another quartet at ˜161 ppm attributable to the carbonyl carbon. This spectrum evidences a doublet of quartets for the carbonyl and CF₂ carbons which suggest that the reaction mixture contains both starting material (i.e., unreacted acid) as well as product. If it is assumed that the weaker quartet in the ˜116 ppm region is attributable to product, the result is a 1:1 ratio between the CF₂ resonances from the product to that of the CH₃ carbon of the quaternary ammonium salt reactant. These data suggest the presence of a monoester of the acid and the quaternary ammonium salt reactant. Strong resonances observed in the 122-140 ppm region were due to toluene.

The solvent used in this reaction should be carefully selected to minimize loss of reactants, especially in the case of relatively low boiling compounds, such as trifluoroacetic acid.

EXAMPLE II Surface Application of Antistatic Composition to Nylon Yarns and Stability Testing

Nylon yarn samples were treated with the following five antistatic compositions of the present invention: (1) a reaction product of ethyl bis(polyethoxyethanol) tallow ethyl sulfate ammonium salt and heptafluorobutyric acid; (2) a reaction product of methyl bis(polyethoxyethanol) coco ethoxylated chloride ammonium salt and heptafluorobutyric acid; (3) a reaction product of ethyl bis(polyethoxyethanol) tallow ethyl sulfate ammonium salt and trifluoroacetic acid; (4) a reaction product of ethyl bis(polyethoxyethanol) tallow ethyl sulfate ammonium salt and nonadecafluorodecanoic acid; and (5) a reaction product of ethyl bis(polyethoxyethanol) tallow ethyl sulfate ammonium salt and perfluoroheptanoic acid. The treated yarn samples possessed satisfactory surface resistance (log (R) in the range of 8 to 10), which were maintained after washing with water in the case of four of the five antistatic compositions (1-3 and 5).

The protocol for making the resistance measurements was analogous to that described in "Resistance and Static Behavior of Textile Surfaces" by S. P. Hersh, Chapter 6 of Surface Characteristics of Fibers and Textiles, Part 1, ed. by M. J. Schick; Marcel Dekker, Inc. (1975).

EXAMPLE III External Application of Antistatic Composition to Nylon 6,6 Panels and Determination of Resistance

4"×6" panels composed of Nylon 6,6 (supplied by Advanced Coating Technologies, Inc., Hillsdale, Mich.) were used to determine the static dissipative effect of a composition of the invention, measured in terms of surface resistance.

The antistatic composition used in this example was prepared according to the procedure described in Example I, above.

Each of three nylon 6,6 test panels was separately treated with (1) the antistatic composition of the invention, (2) ethyl bis(polyethoxyethanol) tallow ethyl sulfate ammonium salt alone, and (3) an unreacted mixture of trifluoroacetic acid and ethyl bis(polyethoxyethanol) tallow ethyl sulfate ammonium salt, according to the following test procedure. The nylon 6,6 panels were initially rinsed with deionized water and wiped with isopropanol. After determining that the resistance of the cleaned panels was greater than or equal to 10¹⁵ ohms/per square (ohms/□), one of the treating agents was swabbed onto the panel. The swabbed panel was heated to 120° F. for 10 minutes and any excess antistatic agent was wiped from the panel with Kimwipe® tissue until no visible traces of the agent remained. The wiped panel was rinsed under a running stream of deionized water for 10 seconds per treated side, then dried at 120° F. for 10 minutes.

The surface resistance of each set of panels was measured at a specified relative humidity using a Milli-to-2 Wide Range Resistance Meter with an Electro-Tech Systems, Inc., Model 803A, surface/volume resistance probe. The resistance values measured twenty-four hours after treatment and storage at 45% relative humidity are set forth in the following table I.

                  TABLE I                                                          ______________________________________                                         Ethyl bis(polyethoxyethanol)                                                                       8.0 × 10.sup.13 ohms/square                          tallow ethyl sulfate ammonium                                                  salt                                                                           CF.sub.3 CO.sub.2 H/ethyl bis                                                                        3 × 10.sup.13 ohms/square                          (polyethoxyethanol) tallow                                                     ethyl sulfate ammonium salt                                                    Ethyl bis(polyethoxyethanol)                                                                       6.9 × 10.sup.12 ohms/square                          tallow ethyl sulfate ammonium                                                  salt esterified with CF.sub.3 COOH                                             ______________________________________                                    

The data in Table I show that the surface resistance improves when ethyl bis(polyethoxyethanol) tallow ethyl sulfate ammonium salt is esterified with trifluoroacetic acid. The poorest surface resistance recorded for the fluorinated ester was two-and-a-half times more conductive than the best surface resistance recorded in the case of either the ethyl bis(polyethoxyethanol) tallow ethyl sulfate ammonium salt alone or an unreacted mixture of ethyl bis(polyethoxyethanol) tallow ethyl sulfate ammonium salt and trifluoroacetic acid. The data show overlap at the two sigma--90% confidence level.

The results of the foregoing tests show that the surface resistance of the Nylon 6,6 panels treated with the antistatic composition of the invention is improved and longer lasting, as compared to Nylon 6,6 panels treated with ethyl bis(polyethoxyethanol) tallow ethyl sulfate ammonium salt alone or a mixture of ethyl bis(polyethoxyethanol) tallow ethyl sulfate ammonium salt and trifluoroacetic acid.

EXAMPLE IV Surface Treatment of Panels with Antistatic Agent of the Invention and Comparative Agents and Determination of Conductivity

4"×6" thermoplastic panels composed of either Lomod, Bexloy, or Bayflex and panels of two different automotive sheet molding compounds (SMC A & B) composed of polyester ester filled with calcium carbonate and chopped glass fibers were used as test substrates to determine the static dissipative effect of the antistatic compositions of the invention. The panels of sheet molding compound differed from one another with respect to surface roughness, by reason of the application of a surface modifying "low profile" agent to one of the panels.

Each panel was initially rinsed in tap water, towel dried, and immersed for 2 minutes in an aqueous solution of antistatic agent followed by immersion for 2 seconds in deionized water, a 30 second tap water spray rinse at 12 psi and oven drying at 120° F.

In carrying out this experiment, a panel of each substrate type was treated with the following: (1) a mixture composed of stearyl dimethylammonium ethyl sulfate which is sold by PPG/Mazer Chemicals under the trademark Larostat® 451 and potassium hydrogen phthalate, which mixture is the subject of U.S. Pat. No. 5,219,493; (2) ethyl bis (polyethoxyethanol) tallow ethyl sulfate ammonium salt; (3) an antistatic composition of the invention comprising the reaction product of trifluoroaceitc acid and ethyl bis(polyethoxyethanol) tallow ethyl sulfate ammonium salt; (4) an antistatic composition of the invention comprising the reaction product of heptafluorobutyric acid and ethyl bis(polyethoxyethanol) tallow ethyl sulfate ammonium salt; (5) methyl bis(polyethoxyethanol) coco ethoxylated chloride ammonium salt; (6) an antistatic composition of the invention comprising the reaction product of trifluoroacetic acid and methyl bis(polyethoxyethanol) coco ethoxylated chloride ammonium salt; and (7) an antistatic composition of the invention comprising the product of the reaction of heptafluorobutyric acid and methyl bis(polyethoxyethanol) coco ethoxylated chloride ammonium salt.

Conductivity of the treated panels was measured by electrostatic charge decay at a specified relative humidity using an electrostatic charge decay meter (Model 406C, Electro-Tech Systems, Inc., Glenside, Pa.) according to the following procedure. A five KV charge (either positive or negative) was applied to the panel, then the charge was allowed to dissipate to a prescribed percentage of the initial charge (in this case 90% charge dissipation). The time in seconds required for decay of the charge to the specified level was measured. Conductivity of the treated panels is inversely proportional to the time required for the prescribed electrostatic decay to occur.

The results of electrostatic charge decay measurements on the treated panels are set forth in the following table II.

                  TABLE II                                                         ______________________________________                                         SUBSTRATE*                                                                     Treating                                                                       Agent   SMC A    SMC B    Lomod Bexloy  Bayflex                                ______________________________________                                         1       3.78     RC       0.10  21.2    10.0                                   2       5.05     RC       0.20  28.4    20.4                                   3       3.48     RC       0.15  22.4    1.19                                   4       1.58     13.99    0.12   12.28  0.28                                   5       RC       RC       0.08  26.4    9.51                                   6       6.91     RC       0.07  30.0    2.56                                   7       3.16     RC       0.08  15.8    0.34                                   ______________________________________                                          *5 KV-500 V decay times measured in seconds                                    RC--Residual Charge                                                      

The test results set forth in Table II indicate that the panels treated with the antistatic composition of the invention exhibit superior electrostatic charge decay as compared with the other agents tested.

EXAMPLE V Effect of Varying the Chain Lengths of the Fluorine-Containing Constituents of the Antistatic Agent on Substrate Conductivity

4"×6" panels of the same substrates tested in Example IV, above, were used to determine the effect on conductivity of the treated panels resulting from varying the chain length of the fluorinated carboxylic acid constituent of the antistatic composition of the invention.

In carrying out this test, an untreated panel of each substrate type was used as a control.

A test panel of each substrate type was treated with (1) ethyl bis(polyethoxyethanol) tallow ethyl sulfate ammonium salt; (2) a reaction product of trifluoroacetic acid and ethyl bis (polyethoxyethanol) tallow ethyl sulfate ammonium salt; (3) a reaction product of heptafluorobutyric acid and ethyl bis(polyethoxyethanol) tallow ethyl sulfate ammonium salt; (4) a reaction product of perfluoroheptanoic acid and ethyl bis (polyethoxyethanol) tallow ethyl sulfate ammonium salt; (5) a reaction product of nonadecafluorodecanoic acid and ethyl bis(polyethoxyethanol) tallow ethyl sulfate ammonium salt; (6) methyl bis (polyethoxyethanol) coco ethoxylated chloride ammonium salt; (7) a reaction product of trifluoroacetic acid and methyl bis(polyethoxyethanol) coco ethoxylated chloride ammonium salt; and (8) a reaction product of heptafluorobutyric acid and methyl bis (polyethoxyethanol) coco ethoxylated chloride ammonium salt.

Conductivity of the treated panels was measured by electrostatic charge decay for a specific relatively humidity (R.H. of 50%) using an electrostatic charge decay meter in the manner described in Example IV, above.

The results of static decay measurements on the panels treated as described above are set forth in the following table III.

                  TABLE III                                                        ______________________________________                                         SUBSTRATE*                                                                     Treating                                                                       Agent   Bexloy  Lomod     Bayflex                                                                               SMC A  SMC B                                  ______________________________________                                         Control 21.2    0.10      10.0   3.78   RC                                     1       28.4    0.20      20.4   5.05   RC                                     2       22.4    0.15      1.19   3.48   RC                                     3       12.3    0.12      0.28   1.58   14.0                                   4        7.11   0.11      1.00   12.2   RC                                     5        1.08   0.17      2.56   11.6   RC                                     6       26.4    0.08      9.51   RC     RC                                     7       30.0    0.07      2.56   6.91   RC                                     8       15.8    0.08      0.34   3.16   RC                                     ______________________________________                                          *5 KV-500 V decay times measured in seconds                                    RC--Residual Charge                                                      

The test results set forth in Table III show that panels treated with the antistatic compositions formed from fluorocarbons of relatively greater chain length and quaternary ammonium salts of relatively longer chain hydrocarbons tend to impart higher conductivity (i.e., shorter decay times) to the treated panels.

EXAMPLE VI Surface Treatment of Thermoplastic Substrate with Antistatic Agent followed by Application of Electrostatic Coating

A thermoplastic airbag cover (Izumi), measuring 4×5 inch, was used as a substrate to determine the effect of the antistatic agent of the invention on the conductivity of such a substrate and the adhesion of a subsequently applied electrostatic coating. The same substrate, which was not treated with the antistatic agent of the invention, was used as a control.

In carrying out the test, the substrate was treated with an antistatic agent resulting from the reaction of a quaternary ammonium ethyl sulfate salt mixture of 10 weight percent CH₃ CH₂ N(CH₂ CH₂ OH)₃.sup.⊕ and 90 weight percent C_(n) H_(2n+1) OCH₂ CH₂ N(CH₂ CH₃)(CH₂ CH₂ OH)₂.sup.⊕ (Emerstat® 6660A) where n=12 to 14 with trifluoroacetic acid in a toluene solution to which a small amount of base material was added. The reaction product was distilled to remove a water-toluene azeotrope formed during the reaction.

An antistatic treatment bath was made up comprising 50 grams of the resultant antistatic agent, 50 grams isopropanol, 2 grams ethoxylated nonylphenol (Trycole® 6974) and 898 grams deionized water. The bath was heated to 125° F. to disperse the antistatic agent. The substrate was immersed in the treatment bath for 5 minutes, then spray rinsed for about 30 seconds at 10-15 psi with deionized water and oven dried for 5 minutes at 120° F.

Conductivity of the treated substrate was measured by electrostatic charge decay at a predetermined relative humidity (40%) using an electrostatic charge decay meter (Model 406C, Electro-Tech Systems, Glenside, Pa.) according to the following procedure. A 5 KV charge (either positive or negative) was applied to the substrate, then the charge was allowed to dissipate to the extent of 90% of the initial charge. The time in seconds required for decay of the charge to the 90% level was measured. Conductivity of the test panel is inversely proportional to the time required for the prescribed electrostatic decay to occur. For the treated substrate, the measured decay time was 0.5 seconds, indicating that the conductivity was maintained after aqueous rinse.

The treated substrate exhibited fair wrap around by a subsequent coating of enamel which was electrostatically applied to the substrate. By comparison, the untreated substrate exhibited no wrap around after electrostatic application of the same enamel coating.

While it is apparent that the various embodiments of the invention disclosed and exemplified are well suited to fulfill the above-stated objects, it will be appreciated that the invention is susceptible to modifications, variations and change without departing from the spirit of the invention, the full scope of which is delineated by the appended claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An antistatic agent of the formula Q--L--(R--X)_(d), wherein Q represent a normal or branched, saturated or unsaturated perfluoroaliphatic radical, L represents an ester or an ether linkage, R represents an alkylene-oxyalkylene or an alkylene-poly(oxyalkylene) group, and X represents at least one quaternary ammonium group of the formula ##STR8## and, optionally, a tertiary amine group of the formula ##STR9## wherein R₁ and R₄ independently represent --(C₂ H₄ O)_(f) --Z, Z being H, Q or ##STR10## wherein Q is as defined above, f being an integer from 1 to 50, R₂ represents a C₁ -C₄ alkyl group, R₃ and R₅ independently represent a normal or branched, saturated or unsaturated C₆ -C₂₂ aliphatic group, A represents an organic or inorganic anion and d is 1 or
 2. 2. An antistatic agent as claimed in claim 1 comprising an ester having as its reactive components at least one saturated perfluoroaliphatic carboxylic acid and at least one quaternary ammonium compound of the formula ##STR11## wherein g and k may be the same or different and are each integers from 1 to 50, j is an integer from 1 to 4, R₆ represents a normal or branched, saturated or unsaturated C₆ -C₂₂ aliphatic group, and A is an organic or inorganic anion and, optionally, a tertiary amine of the formula ##STR12## wherein m and n may be the same or different and are each integers from 1 to 50 which may be the same or different, R₇ represents a normal or branched, saturated or unsaturated, C₆ -C₂₂ aliphatic group; said agent also including any of said reactive components in unreacted form.
 3. An antistatic agent as claimed in claim 2 comprising an ester having as its reactive components at least one acid of the formula (C_(q) F_(2q+1))--COOH, wherein q represents an integer from 1-17, at least one quaternary ammonium compound of the formula ##STR13## wherein s and w may be the same or different and are each integers from 2-16; t is 1 or 2; R₈ represents a normal or branched, saturated or unsaturated C₆ -C₁₈ aliphatic group; A represents an anion selected from the group consisting of halide and sulfate, and at least one tertiary amine of the formula ##STR14## wherein y and z may be the same or different and are nominally 8; R₉ represents a normal or branched, saturated or unsaturated, C₆ -C₁₈ aliphatic group; said agent also including any of said reactive components in unreacted form.
 4. An antistatic agent as claimed in claim 2 comprising an ester having as its reactive components trifluoroacetic acid, at least one quaternary ammonium compound selected from the group consisting of bis(polyethoxy ethanol) tallow ammonium salt; methyl bis(polyethoxy ethanol) coco ammonium salt and polyethoxy coco ether amine diethylsulfate ammonium salt and at least one tertiary amine selected from the group consisting of bis(polyethoxy ethanol) tallow amine and bis(polyethoxy ethanol) coco amine, said agent also including any of said reactive components in unreacted form.
 5. An antistatic composition comprising the product of the reaction between at least one normal or branched, saturated perfluoroaliphatic carboxylic acid and at least one quaternary ammonium compound of the formula ##STR15## wherein g and k may be the same or different and are each integers from 1 to 50, which may be the same or different, j is an integer from 1 to 4, R₆ represents a normal or branched, saturated or unsaturated C₆ -C₂₂ aliphatic group, and A is an organic or inorganic anion, and, optionally, a tertiary amine of the formula ##STR16## wherein m and n may be the same or different and are each integers from 1 to 50 which may be the same or different, and R₇ represents a normal or branched, saturated or unsaturated, C₆ -C₂₂ aliphatic group; and any of said acid, said quaternary ammonium compound, or said tertiary amine in unreacted form.
 6. A composition as claimed in claim 5 which further includes a vehicle for incorporation of said reaction product into a static-prone substrate.
 7. A composition as claimed in claim 5, wherein said acid is of the formula (C_(q) F_(2q+1))--COOH, wherein q represents an integer from 1-17, said quaternary ammonium compound is of the formula ##STR17## wherein s and w may be the same or different and are each integers from 2-16; t is 1 or 2; R₈ represents a normal or branched, saturated or unsaturated C₆ -C₁₈ aliphatic group; A represents an anion selected from the group consisting of halide and sulfate, and said tertiary amine is of the formula ##STR18## wherein y and z may be the same or different and are each integers from 2-16; and R₉ represents a normal or branched, saturated or unsaturated, C₆ -C₁₈ aliphatic group.
 8. A composition as claimed in claim 5, wherein said acid is trifluoroacetic acid, said quaternary ammonium compound is selected from the group consisting of bis(polyethoxy ethanol) tallow ammonium salt; methyl bis(polyethoxy ethanol) coco ammonium salt; and polyethoxy coco ether amine diethylsulfate ammonium salt, and said tertiary amine is selected from the group consisting of bis(polyethoxy ethanol) tallow amine and bis(polyethoxy ethanol) coco amine. 